By Adewale Sanyaolu and Chinwendu Obienyi
To enhance Africa’s competitiveness as well as offer solution to address its economies, the African Economic Summit Group (AESG), has said Nigeria needs to collaborate with other countries to tackle challenges bedeviling growth and development of African economies.
Its Chief Executive Officer, Dr Brian Reuben, stated this in Lagos, during a media briefing of its outcome of the Multi-Stakeholder summit tagged; “Enhancing Africa’s Competitiveness” held in Lagos last month.
Reuben noted that the summit which was organised to critically assess issues bedeviling the continent revealed that there was a lack of synergy among African nations. He listed the lack of constant supply of power, preference for foreign products, inconsistent trade policies and infrastructural deficits as the causative factors hindering the growth and development of African nations.
“There is so much focus on sharing the “national pie” rather than expanding the pie and the fact that Africans store their data in foreign data banks, exposes the trade secrets of Africa as well as security to foreigners”, he said.
According to him, there are cost implications as well as benefits derived from the closure of borders.
“While many African countries, not just Nigeria, are dealing with some security challenges, people are being maimed, killed or kidnapped and so the thing is one has to look at the pros and cons of the decision to close the borders. What was gained or lost from that decision? What will be the gain and loss when the borders are opened?
“You don’t want to make a decision that will cripple the economy, rather you are creating a more complex problem, while you are trying to solve a simpler one. So our recommendation is that policies and decisions should not just be made because they seem to be okay.”